A cold day in Iowa

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
It was 18 degrees F outside at 11:00 AM so with the warm up, (It was 12 degrees yesterday), I just had to clean the GTP.
11:05 - 28 degrees in the garage.
11:08 - Fired up my 90,000 BTU kerosene heater.
11:28 - Shut off the heater. Garage was 58 degrees.
12:15 - GTP has been cleaned with Poorboy's Spray & Wipe, (This stuff is incredible:)), vacuumed, dash cleaned & treated with PB's Natural Look, wheels & tires cleaned, windows cleaned, and Duragloss Aqua Wax applied.
FWIW, the garage temp fell to 48 degrees by the time I was done.

There's really no point to this thread, I just was so happy with my hours work that I had to tell someone. I told my wife, but it was like "So, isn't that what you always do when it's dirty?" Don't you hate it when they are always right?:)

Charles
 
Some day when I grow up I will be able to use the garage on a full time basis. Although if I remain in Texas I guess that I will not have to fire up any heaters to get the car warm.

Man you only spent an hour cleaning your car? I worked on 1/4 of the tonneau cover today. Over three and a half hours spent. What I did looks good but I have a whole lot more to do.
 
cwcad said:
Man you only spent an hour cleaning your car? I worked on 1/4 of the tonneau cover today. Over three and a half hours spent. What I did looks good but I have a whole lot more to do.
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All I did was a cleanup and spray wax with no polishing. Shouldn't take too long and it didn't.
You were polishing.
The tonneau cover is about 1/2 acre in area.
The tonneau cover is black.
'Nuf said.:)

Charles
 
Come on Charles that's almost like a Spring day :D

cw ..I feel for you but you are a perfectionist ;)
 
Chicago Temps as of 7:17 pm- 22 deg expected lows 04 deg..its sarting to feel a lot like Christmas :smile
 
Pockets@PoorboysWorld said:
On avg. how long does it take to detail a car inside and out???
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Wash, polish, wax/seal, vacuum interior, scrub carpeted mats, wash windows in/out, clean engine compartment, probably takes me close to 4 hours, maybe a little less.
That's on my personal cars that aren't in very bad shape to start with and since I'm doing it for my self, I don't really hurry.
I think for a professional. it could range from a couple of hours for a vehicle in the condition of mine up to 6 or 8 hours for some of the nightmares I have seen.
I have seen an interior of a used car that was so bad that they removed the seats to be able to use an extractor on the carpet.

Just take a look at some of the cars you walk by and give some thought to what it would take to clean them up. When you really look at them, you will see what I mean about the differences in what you have to start with.

Charles
 
Poorboy said:
Come on Charles that's almost like a Spring day :D
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You're closer than you think. Any day that the temperature is close to 20 degrees, I can heat the garage and clean the vehicles with not much problem.
Having a garage and a heater makes a world of difference.
I also have access to a heated shop on Saturdays, but it does require driving about 40 miles round trip. It seems a little handier, more time efficient and more economical to just heat the garage for 20 minutes. Plus if I go to the shop, I end up BSing with the owner more than working on the vehicle.:D

Charles
 
Since starting on this forum I have learned so much, Steve. It has been a life transformation. Trying to emulate the workings of some of the great detailers on this forum.

This past year I had the pleasure to view some of this forums members vehicles on my sojourn to Alaska. I think my vehicle looks very good. Yet, after visiting with these gracious members and viewing their vehicles, I am far from a perfectionist. I am just trying to keep up with the real ones.

Charles in cold Iowa and Norah in hot Tempe, AZ., are two members that contribute greatly to Detail city. Very knowledgeable and caring of this forum, it members, and their own personal vehicle's. These two members plus many others on this forum are the people that I am trying to emulate. They set high standards. I try to as well.
 
CharlesW said:
Wash, polish, wax/seal, vacuum interior, scrub carpeted mats, wash windows in/out, clean engine compartment, probably takes me close to 4 hours, maybe a little less.
That's on my personal cars that aren't in very bad shape to start with and since I'm doing it for my self, I don't really hurry.
I think for a professional. it could range from a couple of hours for a vehicle in the condition of mine up to 6 or 8 hours for some of the nightmares I have seen.
I have seen an interior of a used car that was so bad that they removed the seats to be able to use an extractor on the carpet.

Just take a look at some of the cars you walk by and give some thought to what it would take to clean them up. When you really look at them, you will see what I mean about the differences in what you have to start with.

Charles
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Has it ever taken you 2 days to do a car:confused:
 
Pockets@PoorboysWorld said:
Has it ever taken you 2 days to do a car:confused:
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If by 2 days you mean 16+ hours, no.
I have done my vehicles over a 2 day time span, but only worked on them a couple of hours each day.
Keep in mind that I'm a hobby detailer and the vehicles I work on are in pretty good shape to start with.
It's not too hard to keep them nice if you work at it regularly. The ones that get neglected for a long period of time are a totally different story.
I have read where some members really hate mini-vans and even talk about turning them away. My 1988 Astro van was 14 years old, 168,000 miles and still looked new inside. Same with my 1998 Pontiac Tran Sport, but it was only 7 years old with 153,000 miles. Both were always taken care of and it was pretty easy to keep them looking good.

Charles
 
CharlesW said:
If by 2 days you mean 16+ hours, no.
I have done my vehicles over a 2 day time span, but only worked on them a couple of hours each day.
Keep in mind that I'm a hobby detailer and the vehicles I work on are in pretty good shape to start with.
It's not too hard to keep them nice if you work at it regularly. The ones that get neglected for a long period of time are a totally different story.
I have read where some members really hate mini-vans and even talk about turning them away. My 1988 Astro van was 14 years old, 168,000 miles and still looked new inside. Same with my 1998 Pontiac Tran Sport, but it was only 7 years old with 153,000 miles. Both were always taken care of and it was pretty easy to keep them looking good.

Charles
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The Lexus that I worked on today was never detailed. It's about 4 or 5 years old, has been taken to drive through car washes it's whole life (swirl heaven, it came to me filthy (you could see the dirt everywhere), it took me an hour and a half just to wash the thing. Then i spent the rest of the day using SSR 2.5 with a cutting pad to get them out. Then it got dark and i couldent see what i was doing. I mean i had a great time doing it just was getting a little down that it was taking me so long to do.
 
Pockets@PoorboysWorld said:
The Lexus that I worked on today was never detailed. It's about 4 or 5 years old, has been taken to drive through car washes it's whole life (swirl heaven, it came to me filthy (you could see the dirt everywhere), it took me an hour and a half just to wash the thing. Then i spent the rest of the day using SSR 2.5 with a cutting pad to get them out. Then it got dark and i couldent see what i was doing. I mean i had a great time doing it just was getting a little down that it was taking me so long to do.
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That's what I mean by the extreme conditions you sometimes hit.
A normal bucket wash for me is probably about 30 minutes and I take my time. There again, my vehicles are usually washed any time they look to me like they need it and it isn't that much of an accumulation. When we have spent a week at the lake house and driven on some nasty roads, that same vehicle will require an hour and a half, maybe more depending on the condition of the wheels and wheel wells. They can some times require close to an hour by themselves. A little road tar and a lot of gravel dust makes for a lot of work. Just like a Lexus that doesn't get much care. :)
If you needed to spend the better part of the day with a cutting pad and SSR 2.5, you were working with a vehicle that will require a lot of time.
That is a perfect example of where a rotary would be handy. An experienced person could probably done the swirl removal in about 2 hours or less using a rotary. I have seen paint correction in 10 minutes with a rotary that would have taken me an hour with the PC. It isn't just what they can do in an area, it's also how much of an area a good operator can cover in a very short time.
I don't even own a cutting pad and have never felt the need for one on my own vehicles. In fact, I very rarely use anything more abrasive than Meg's #80 with a polishing pad.
I do think that someone doing paint correction for a living would do well to learn how to use a rotary. To me, comparing the rotary to a PC is like comparing a tack hammer to a sledge hammer. Not only in the work it can do, but in the damage that can be done if not used properly. Trust me on this one, I know.:)

Charles
 
Well, i thank you very much for the advice you have given me. I think i will look into getting a rotary or just ask steve to train me on his. Then look into getting one. Also i am sorry for taking the post out of proportion but it really has helped me. Thanks CharlesW:cool:.
This is exactly why i think :dcrules
 
Pockets@PoorboysWorld said:
Well, i thank you very much for the advice you have given me. I think i will look into getting a rotary or just ask steve to train me on his. Then look into getting one. Also i am sorry for taking the post out of proportion but it really has helped me. Thanks CharlesW:cool:.
This is exactly why i think :dcrules
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A great comparison would be for you and Steve to work on the same vehicle. You do an area with the PC, then have Steve do an area with the rotary. I think you will be amazed.

Charles
 
I was stupid enough to stand in a marsh up by Jefferson, IA two days ago with a half inch of ice on my waders, and sat in the woods today to go after the buck I couldn't take with the bow...I am now typing with my toes 'cause the fingers are still in permafrost.

oh, Iowa is such nice place this time of year!
 
This isnt cold yet. I remember last winter greeting cars at walmart TLE with just a stockking hat on. Every one else was inside with gloves, hats, and heavy down filled coats freezing when I opened the door to drive in a vehicle. That reminds me to where a stocking cap today. I think its around 15 out now. Got to go to Walmart anfd work at 9-6. Just a few days and Im out of there as another job closer to home has my attention and no SUNDAYS. In the last 17 years Ive only gone 2 years without working sundies regularly. I farm for a living ,cleaning cars for wonderful side job, and my new job is getting greasy and oily at a repair shop for a freind of mine. Just going to be AT WALMART TILL THE ENd of the year. Just takes to much time out of my day when Im there. RANDAL in freezing AUDUBON COUNTY IOWA BRRRRR!!!!!
 
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